Hand tool



June 16, 1964 Filed June 20, 1962 w. P. GREEN ETAL 3,137,062

HAND TOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.3

60 5e 5862 50 46 ms Inventors W027 Zfizew Zn 3 Jqfiorrzegp June 16, 1964 w. P. GREEN ETAL 3,137,062

HAND TOOL Filed June 20, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w W r-r-r I45 I426 am.-

IIIIIIIJ 'IIIIIIII lnvenfor's 3,137,062 HAND TOOL Wilson P. Green, Elmhurst, Ill., and William H. McKee West Covina, Calif., assignors to United-Carr Fastener j Corporation, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 20, 1962, Ser. No. 203,901 2 Claims. (Cl. 2206) The present invention relates to a hand tool and more particularly it relates to a hand tool for manipulating contact elements.

i d States Patent In accord with present day trends to miniaturize electrical circuitry for various electrical components it follows that the contact elements adapted to interconnect the circuitry are being made to considerably smaller dimensions. It becomes increasingly difficult to manipulate such small elements with the fingers or with pliers or other conventional tools and as such the problem of repair in such circuitry presents problems. The problem of handling contact elements is made especially diflicult in edge connectors utilized in conjunction with printed circuitry. In edge connectors the contact elements normally are fully received within a protectiveinsulating body and as such become quite inaccessible with conventional tools. a In view of this, repair of circuits employing edge connectors becomes exceedingly difficult. If the edge connector or associated circuitry is involved in the malfunction of the circuit it frequently is necessary to replace the edge connector entirely in order to correct the deflect and restore the circuit to normal effectiveness. Such replacement involves an expenditure of time and materials that would be unnecessary if the contact elements withinthe edge connector could be con veniently removed therefrom and a new contact element replaced therein with relative ease.

In accord with the present invention a hand tool for manipulating contact elements is provided to facilitate removal and insertion of contact elements from insulat- 'Another object of the present invention 1s to provide a hand tool adapted to remove contact elements from insulating bodies in one continuousioperation.

" A further objectof the present invention resides in the provision of an improved hand tool having a prong portion adapted to engage the locking lug of the'contact element and a knockout pin adapted to engage and push the contactv element but of the .recess of the insulating body within which it is inserted.

' Still another object of the present invention is to.

provide a hand tool for manipulating contact elements having a contact-element insertion portion at one end thereof and a contact element removal portion at the other end thereof.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a hand tool adapted to.remove contact elements from insulating bodies wherein the removal pin is teles'copically received within the body of the tool,

Another object of the present invention is to provide a contact element removal tool that is convenient to use, inexpensive to manufacture and assemble, and durably constructed to withstand considerable abuse in use.-

' The novel features which we believe to be characteristic of our invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. Our invention, however, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be undestood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an assembled view of the hand tool of the present invention showing the insertion and removal portions with the coversremoved;

FIGURE 2 is a view of the contact element removal portion of the hand tool taken out of the tubular cover;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded view of the contact element removal portion shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 isa view of a portion of the contact element'removal portion of the hand tool of the present invention showing the release slide details and the knockout pin in cooperation therewith;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view of the portion of the contact element shown in FIGURE 4 illustrating the assembly of a portion of the knockout pin within the opening in the tool body and showing the operative relation between the slide, release pin and knockout pin;

FIGURE 6 is an end view of the portion of the contact element removal portion ofthe hand tool shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 taken from the projecting end of the removal portion;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the slide and release pin of the tool of the present invention illustrating the relationship of the cams and cam surfaces thereof;

FIGURE 8 is a top plan view of the slide;

FIGURE 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 99 of FIGURE 8 with the release pin sketched therein in dotted lines in operative relation therewith;

' FIGURE 10 is a fragmentarytop view of an insulating body showing a contact element in one of the contact element receiving openings; and e tion 22 FIGURE 11 is a schematic representation illustrating the operative functioning of the hand tool of the present invention.

' Referring more particularly now to FIGURE 1, the hand 'tool includes a first tubular body portion 20. A contact element insertion portion, indicated generally at 22, is defined at one end of the hand tool. The insertion portion 22 includes prongs 24 and 26 which prongs are adapted to engage a contact element and position it for insertion into the contact element receiving recess of an insulating body. A protective cap 28 is provided for the insertion portion 22. The cap 28 has an internally threaded bore 30 adapted to be threadably received upon the threaded portion 32 adjacent the portion 22 to thereby, when assembled, define a protective cover for the por- The body portion 20 may be provided with a knurled section 21 to provide a suitable gripping surface thereon. The body portion 20 is telescopically received over the body portion 34L The body, portion 34 is provided with a plurality of prongs, to be described in detail below, which prongs, in

use, are adapted to engage and remove electrical con-- tact elements from the insulating body within which said contact elements are received. The body portion 34 is a, further provided with a threaded portion 36 at the terminal thereof. A cap 38 is provided to cover and protect the prongs associated with the body portion 34 of the hand'tool. The cap 38 has an internally threaded recess 40 which is threadably received over the threaded portion 36 of the body portion 34.

- The electrical contact removal assembly 42 is shown more clearly in FIGURE 2, removed from the body portion 34 of the hand tool. As shown in FIGURE 2, the

assembly 42 includes a threaded sleeve portion 44 at the' terminal thereof opposite the threaded portion 36 of the 3t assembly 42. The threaded sleeve portion 44 is received over the knockout pin holder 46 the internal diameter of the sleeve being smaller than the outside diameter of the flared head 48 whereby the sleeve44 may not be removed over the flared head portion.

The exploded view of FIGURE 3 illustrates the separate components of the assembly 42 in clearer fashion. As can be seen the knockout pin holder 46 has a recess 56 defined along a portion of the length of one sidethereof. The terminal of the pin holder 46 opposite the head portion 48 is provided with an opening 52 therethrough adapted to receive a pin 54 therein. As knockout pin 56 includes a main body portion 58 and a relatively smaller body portion 60', said smaller body portion 60 defining the contact element removal prong of the hand tool. ,A recess 62 is defined in the end of the pin 56 opposite the prong portion 66. The recess 62 is adapted to be received about the pin 54 which pin 54 extends through the opening 52 within the pin holder 46. A set screw (not shown) is adapted to be received within a suitable threaded opening extending through the shoulder portion 64 of the pin holder 46 said set screw being adapted to physically and restrictively engage the pin 56 when said pin is inserted into assembled position in relation to the pin holder to define means for holding the pin 56 in assembled rela tion with the pin holder 46.

The sleeve 44 is slidably received in telescoped relation over the assembled pin 56 and pin holder 46 and is urged therealong until it abuts the head 48 of the pin holder 46 to rest thereagainst. The sleeve 44 is shown in assembled relation on a fragmentary section of the pin holder: 46 in FIGURE 3. The spring 66 is inserted over the pin 56 and pin holder 46 in telescoped relation with respect thereto.

One end of the spring 66 is adapted to rest against the adjacent terminal of the sleeve member 44 and to,"in use, resiliently urge the'sleeve into engagement with the hea 48 of the pin holder 46. p I The body portion 34 has an opening extending therethrough, indicated generally in FIGURE 3 by the numeral 70. The opening 70 is of'sufiicient diameter along its entire extent to. permit free sliding passage of the prong 60 of the pin 56 therethrough. The opening 70 is defined by large diameter openings '72 and 74 at either end thereof said openings being joined at the central portion of the body portion 34 by a relatively narrow opening 76.1 The body portion 34 has an opening 80 extending through the outer wall thereof said opening 80 being threaded ,along. its entire length and intersecting the opening 72 adjacent the inner terminal thereof. A set screw 82 is adapted to be threadably received within the threaded opening 80. A second opening 84 extends through the wall of the body portion 34 at one side thereof. A pin 86 is slidably received within the opening 84 the inner terminal thereof being adapted to protrude into the opening 74 a predetermined distance. The inner terminal of the pin 86 is received by the recess 50 defined in the knockout pin holder 46, and in combinationwith said recess, defines the maximum limits of travel of the knockout pin holder and associated assembly longitudinally of the hand tool.

Control sleeve 88 is adapted to be slidably received within the opening 72 of the body portion 34 and is adapted to be retained therein by the set screw 82. Sleeve 88 has an opening 90 disposed along the central axis thereof of sufiicient diameter to permit the prong 60 of the pin 56 to pass unrestricted therethrough. The opening 90 of the sleeve 88 is substantially coaxially aligned with the opening 76 of the body portion 34 and is of substantially the same diameter. A prong 92 extends outwardly from the main portion of the sleeve 88 and is integrally joined thereto. The prong 92 is substantially vertically aligned with the opening 90 within the sleeve 88.

t should be observed, however, that the prong 92 may be oriented at any radial position with respect to the sleeve 88 that would satisfy the requirements of the contact element removal operation and to that extent the positioning of the prong 92 as shown is not critical and is set forth for purposes of illustration only. Sleeve 83 is further provided with a recess 94 extending therealong said recess having an upstanding shoulder portion 96 at one terminal thereof defining smaller recesses 98 and 100 along either side thereof. The upstanding shoulder 96 is provided with a small diameter opening 102 extending therethrough coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the recess 94 of the sleeve 88. The sleeve 88 has an opening 194 extending through the wall between the bottom of the recess 94 and the opening tl of the sleeve 88 said opening 104 being orthogonally related to the opening 90.

A slide 196, shown in FIGURES 4, 5, 7 and 8, is slidably received within the recess 94 of the sleeve 88. The slide 106 is defined bya main body portion 108 and a bifiucated prong defining portion having a pair of prongs 111) and 112. A first opening 114 is defined within the main body portion 108 and is adapted to receive one terminal of a biasing spring 116. The other terminal of the biasing spring 116 is fastened within the opening 192 of the shoulder 96. The. slide 166 is thus biased by the spring 116 to a static position wherein the prongs and 112 extend outboard the terminal of the recess 94.

- The slide 166 is provided with a release pin opening 12% extending through the main body portion 193 thereof. The opening 120 defines two camming surfaces at opposite terminals thereof. The firstsurface 122 defines a relatively shallow sloping cam surface extending along and defining one wall of theopening 120 from one side of the slide 166 to the opposite side thereof. The opposite wall of the opening 120 is defined by a steeper carn surface 124. The shallow inclined surface 122 has a slot 127 extending therealong.

A release pin, indicated generally at 126, includes a head portion 128 and a shaft portion 130. The head portion 128 is formed at either end thereof to define camming faces 132 and 134. The camming face 132 is provided with the same angular inclination as the cam surface 122 and is adapted to be matingly and cammingly received thereby. The opposite portion of the head 128 is formed to define a cam surface 134 which is steeper in slope than the cam surface 132 and is of substantially the same angular inclination as the camming surface 124 of the slide 106. The camming face 134 is adapted to be matingly and operatively received by the cam surface 124 of the slide. The shaft portion of the release pin 126 is adapted to, in one position of the release pin, extend through the opening 104 in the sleeve 88 and into the central opening 90 of said sleeve.

Operation adapted to receive electrical contact elements 144 therein. Each of the openings 142 of the insulating body is defined by a projection 146 extending into the opening in spaced relation to the main outer wall of the insulating body. A shoulder 148 is defined in the wall of the insulating body in the area of joinder of the projection 146 to the outer'wall of said insulating body 140. A central wall portion 150 defines a partition between adjacent contact element receiving openings along a portion of said openings and insulatingly separates said openings to prevent electrical contact of the contact elements 144 or of the electrical leads (not shown) afiixed thereto.

The contact elements 144 are defined by a continuously formed U-shaped electrical lead receiving portion 152. The U-sh'aped lead receiving portion 152 is adapted to be received about the projection 146 of each of the contact element receiving openings 142. The projection 146 separates the electrical lead receiving portions 154 and 156 of the contact element 144. The elements 144 are further defined by head portions 158 which portions are contacted by the electrical elements to be inserted into the insulating body to establish electrical contact with the associated circuitry. At the joinder of the head portion 158 and the U-shaped portion 152 an outwardly biased spring clip 160 is provided. Upon insertion of the contact element 144 into the contact element receiving 142 of the insulating body 140 the spring biased clip 160 is resiliently urged inwardly into the main body portion of the contact element as it passes over the projection 146. As the clip 160 passes beyond the projection 146 it is spring biased outwardly. The contact element is thus fixed within the opening 142 by engagement of the shoulder 148 of the opening 142 with the clip 160 of the element It can readily be seen that if a circuit failure should occur involving one of the plurality of contact elements within the insulating body considerable time and money could be saved if it were conveniently possible to remove the contact element involved, repair the circuit and replace the element.

As shown in the top representation of FIGURE 11, the hand tool is inserted into the contact element receiving opening 142 of the insulating body 140 such that the projection 92 is disposed in aligned spaced relation to the shoulder 148 of the body 140. The projection (and hand tool) are continuously inserted into the opening. The projection 92 at a predetermined point of travel into the opening will engage the spring clip 160 of the contact element 144 and will, upon continued insertion of the hand tool into the opening 142, urge the spring clip 16%) inwardly into the body of the contact elementand away from engagement with the shoulder portion 148 of the opening 142. As the spring clip 160 is urged out of engagement with the shoulder 143 of the opening 142 the continued insertion of'the hand tool into the opening 142 brings the projections 110 and 112 into engagement with the shoulder portions 142a and 14212 of the insulating body 140. The continued insertion of the hand tool into the opening 142 will urge the slide 106 into the recess 94 of the sleeve 88. As'the slide 106 is slidably urged inwardly of the sleeve 88 against the spring bias tension of the spring 116 the cam face 122 of the slide 106 will act to slidably urge the release pin 126 upwardly therealong. As the pin 126 is urged upwardly alongthe cam surface 122 the shaft 130 of said pin is brought out of engagement with the shoulder 131 of the knockout pin 60. The telescoping portion 20 of the hand tool is thus released and upon continued urging upon the portion 20 said portion will move over the portion 34 in telescoped relation against the tension of the spring 66 to urge the knockout pin 60 into the opening 142 of the insulating body 140, as shown in the bottom illustration of FIGURE 11. The knockout pin 60 engages the head 158 of the contact element and urges the element 144 out of the contact element receiving opening to remove said element therefrom.

Upon release of the contact element removing hand tool the spring 66 will urge the knockout pin 60 rearwardly into the body of the hand tool. Likewise the spring 116 will urge the slide 106 to its outermost, static position. The release pin 126, upon return of the slide to its static position, is urged downwardly by engagement of the cam surface 134 of the release pin 126 with the cam surface 124 of the slide 106 to a position wherein the shaft 130. again projects into the central opening 90 defined in the sleeve portion 88 of the hand tool.

While we have shown'and described a specific embodiment of the present invention it will, of course, be understood that other modifications and alternative construca second body portion telescopically received Within said first body portion, said second body portion having a recess therein and an opening extending therethrough, said second body portion normally extending to a position outboard said first body portion;

a slide movably mounted Within the recess in the second body portion, said slide having protruding portion at one end thereof and a cam surface defined at the opposite end thereof, said slide defining an opening extending therethrough, said slide being spring biased within said recess to define a static position-wherein said protruding portion extends outboard the terminal of the recess in said second body portion;

a release pin defining a cam portion at one end thereof, said cam portion of the pin adapted to be operatively engaged by the cam surface in the slide, said release pin defining a first position extending substantially within the opening of the slide portion and a second position wherein said pin extends outboard said slide portion in orthogonal relation to said slide;

and a knockout pin operatively associated with said first body portion and being disposed for movement within said opening in the second body portion, said pin adapted to be urged along said opening as the first body portion is telescoped over said second body 1 portion, said release pin adapted in said second position to lockingly engage said knockout pin and to permit movement thereof along said opening in the second body portion.

2. A contact element removal tool comprising:

a body;

a first prong rigidly mounted with respect to said body;

a slide member movably mounted with respect to said body and biased in one direction by spring action, said slide having a sloping cam surface defined therein;

a second prong member interposed between said first prong and said slide member, and movably supported by said body member relative to said first prong;

a pin having a cam surface thereon, said camsurface adapted to be. cammingly engaged by the cam surface defined within the slide member and to be moved toward said slide member when said slide is urged away from the free end of said first prong, said pin having a projection thereon adapted to engage said second prong member when in one position and to be urged away from engagement with said second prong member by action of the slide member in engagement therewith to thereby release said second prong member, whereby said second prong member upon continued urging upon said body member will be urged outwardly toward the free end of the said first prong.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,074,155 Cootes et a1. Jan. 22, 1963 3,075,283 Jansch Jan. 29, 1963 

1. A HAND TOOL COMPRISING: A FIRST BODY PORTION; A SECOND BODY PORTION TELESCOPICALLY RECEIVED WITHIN SAID FIRST BODY PORTION, SAID SECOND BODY PORTION HAVING A RECESS THEREIN AND AN OPENING EXTENDING THERETHROUGH, SAID SECOND BODY PORTION NORMALLY EXTENDING TO A POSITION OUTBOARD SAID FIRST BODY PORTION; A SLIDE MOVABLY MOUNTED WITHIN THE RECESS IN THE SECOND BODY PORTION, SAID SLIDE HAVING PROTRUDING PORTION AT ONE END THEREOF AND A CAM SURFACE DEFINED AT THE OPPOSITE END THEREOF, SAID SLIDE DEFINING BEING OPENING EXTENDING THERETHROUGH, SAID SLIDE BEING SPRING BIASED WITHIN SAID RECESS TO DEFINE A STATIC POSITION WHEREIN SAID PROTRUDING PORTION EXTENDS OUTBOARD THE TERMINAL OF THE RECESS IN SAID SECOND BODY PORTION; A RELEASE PIN DEFINING A CAM PORTION AT ONE END THEREOF, SAID CAM PORTION OF THE PIN ADAPTED TO BE OPERATIVELY ENGAGED BY THE CAM SURFACE IN THE SLIDE, SAID RELEASE PIN DEFINING A FIRST POSITION EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY WITHIN THE OPENING OF THE SLIDE PORTION AND A SECOND POSITION WHEREIN SAID PIN EXTENDS OUTBOARD SAID SLIDE PORTION IN ORTHOGONAL RELATION TO SAID SLIDE; AND A KNOCKOUT PIN OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID FIRST BODY PORTION AND BEING DISPOSED FOR MOVEMENT WITHIN SAID OPENING IN THE SECOND BODY PORTION, SAID PIN ADAPTED TO BE URGED ALONG SAID OPENING AS THE FIRST BODY PORTION IS TELESCOPED OVER SAID SECOND BODY PORTION, SAID RELEASE PIN ADAPTED IN SAID SECOND POSITION TO LOCKINGLY ENGAGE SAID KNOCKOUT PIN AND TO PERMIT MOVEMENT THEREOF ALONG SAID OPENING IN THE SECOND BODY PORTION. 